After years of speculation, Apple has finally launched an updated version of the very popular iPhone SE. And with all the best bits of last year’s iPhone but without the hefty price tag, the 2020 edition promises to be a best-seller amongst discerning smartphone fans around the world.
In fact, the standard 64GB iPhone SE, available for pre-order now, will cost just £419. So it’s considerably cheaper than last year’s iPhone 11, which starts at £729.
But what’s the new iPhone SE like? What features does it have? And, more importantly, what features is it missing? We take a closer look to find out if the 2020 iPhone SE is too good to be true.
iPhone SE
The iPhone SE looks a lot like an iPhone 8. So it has a physical home button and large bezels (edges) at the top and bottom, giving it a very familiar look and feel, particularly for long-time Apple fans and users who haven’t upgraded their phone in a few years.
But, it’s actually a bit of an upgrade on the iPhone 8. Although it looks a lot like Apple’s 2018 entry-level phone, the new iPhone SE comes with the A13 bionic chip processor found in the iPhone 11. This means that it’ll be lightning-fast, even if you have lots of power-hungry apps running at the same time.
And it has a significant camera upgrade too. Although it isn’t exactly the triple-lens powerhouse of the iPhone 11, the SE’s single-lens 12MP camera apparently comes with a pretty impressive portrait mode and uses machine learning to detect depth and faces.
Elsewhere, the physical home button doubles as a traditional fingerprint scanner for simple but effective smartphone security. And the phone has a waterproof rating of IP67, meaning it should survive in water for up to 30 minutes. So it should survive the rough and tumble of daily life without any major issues.
How much is the iPhone SE?
Here's the best bit, the entry-level iPhone SE comes with 64GB and costs £419. That's a great price for a new iPhone, especially when you consider Apple's next cheapest iPhone, the iPhone 11, starts at £729.
If you want more storage, there are also 128GB and 256GB versions available and all three will come in Black, White and Product Red.
Want to pre order the new iPhone SE? Check out all our best deals
Ru Bhikha, mobiles expert at Uswitch.com, said: “The original iPhone SE won an army of fans when it landed four years ago, appealing to smartphone users who wanted a cheaper, more compact Apple device.
“Budgets couldn’t be tighter at the moment, so the arrival of the new SE lands at an opportune time, especially priced at an attractive £419.
“The SE is Frankenstein’s monster in a ball dress, a glamorous package with the body of an iPhone 8 and the brain of a more modern device. “Smartphone fans used to gadgets with four or five cameras might not like the thought of coping with only one 12MP lens, but the set-up should be more than enough for the casual user.
“The return of the traditional Touch ID on the Home button could prove popular for those not won over by Face recognition and its well-documented quirks.
“Smartphone users, wedded to the iOS platform but not prepared to break the bank, will likely flock to the new SE, if the popularity of its predecessor is anything to go by.
“The price looks even better value when you consider it includes a year’s subscription to Apple TV+, worth about £60.”
